A new year and decade have started and with it as usual have come hopes for a
better tomorrow. While none of us may have very pleasant memories of 2009,
especially because of the downturn. The new year has started on a positive note,
and all good things should be around the corner.
Personally for us, like all of you, January is not only a start of a new year
but also the time when we chalk out what to do from here on. Building road-maps
and strategy are an integral part of the start of a new year. So we all got
together, put on our thinking caps and got down to business.
What I realized for the first time was that an essential part of making
strategy is not only to brainstorm alone but to also draw from experience of
other people and then adapt the same to your life or business. So in no
particular order here are some of the things that I thought would hold me in
good stead in the coming year, hope they will help you:
- One thing that the downturn brought out loud and clear to everyone in
business was that creating value for your stakeholders and customers is the
most important thing in business. Why? Well simply because it bad times, they
are the assets that would never leave you. Build and nurture relationships, it
is especially true for the distribution space that we all work in.
- Another theme for the new decade is transformation. I am sure, some of you
have taken the opportunity that the downturn presented by the head and are
already working on it. But if you are not then believe me this is the time to
do so. Go out their and chase your long cherished dream, that got lost
somewhere in the nitty gritty of business.
- Leverage your existing wealth, and by that I do not in any way mean the
tangible terms that are attached to 'wealth'. It is the intangibles that you
need to leverage on, it could be a wealth of ideas (refer to earlier point of
chasing cherished dreams or wild ideas) or even leveraging your human
resources to build a bank of intangible wealth. A wealth which no index can
undervalue for you overnight.
- 2010 should be the year of breakthrough for all of us. A year of chasing A
class items and big ticket projects.
- Make fun and enjoyment an integral part of your work life. If work is no
longer fun, and you no longer enjoy it, then you will not grow and neither
will the business. Be passionate about whatever you do.
- Lastly, this is not for the year only but your life, build respect for
yourself and your business. Respect is the biggest takeaway that life will
give you. Chase it!
Well those are some of the mantras that I plan to follow this year and in the
decade ahead. With that a slightly belated but heartfelt wish that all of you
have a fantastic year ahead. Cheers!
Shivangi Yadav
shivangiy@cybermedia.co.in